Thursday, July 2, 2009

7:00PMHandsometown + Lumberjack Office $5
8:00PMTwo-Provaganza! $5
9:30PMScott Bateman Animation Show $5
11:00PMNew Team Lunacy FREE

7:00PM
$5
Handsometown + Lumberjack Office
Handsometown is a place for good, pretty improv. Handsometown is Dave Ahdoot, Craig Callow, Andrew Fixell, Grace Helbig, Jenn Hibbs, Rich Hollman, Bradford Jordan and Chris Roberti. Handsometown is pretty good. Pretty funny. Pretty.

After escaping the lumber camps of Northern Oregon, these loggers ditched their flannels and set up shop in Midtown Manhattan. Wi-Fi, spreadsheets, W-4s, TransitCheks(R) — it's a new improv adventure! Lumberjack Office — more than just swinging axes. LUMBERJACK OFFICE IS: Andy Gleaner, Thom Pitts, Kasey Daley, Stacey Higgins, Eddie Cordiano, Ryan Dietz, Krissy Oakes, Brad Tytel, Meg Scanlon.

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8:00PM
$5
Two-Provaganza!
Holy 2-person improv, Batman! They're back. 6 of The PIT's hottest improvisers make 3 phenomenal 2-person teams and take the stage for 1 night only. Just in case all those numbers are too much for ya, we'll sum it up like this: an hour of rockin' improv.

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Featuring:
Matt Fried and Bradford Jordan
Team Jach (Rachel Axelrod and Jay Hoskins)
Ed Illades and Bob Kulhan

9:30PM
$5
Scott Bateman Animation Show
Animator Scott Bateman (Plum TV) will show several of his daily political animations for Salon.com and discuss the pressing issues with a live panel of comedians. Think "The McLaughlin Group," but funny on purpose.

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Featured guests include:
Janeane Garofalo (HBO, Comedy Central),
Jamie Kilstein (Huffington Post, Comedy Central)
and Pete Holmes (VH1, Comedy Central)!

11:00PM
FREE
New Team Lunacy
All you need to do is show up. Don't have an improv group? We'll put you in one! Have a team then bring them down! Five teams get to play for ten minutes each, and everyone has fun. Work on your skills and meet some great new people. New Team Lunacy, hosted by Kelly Kreye and Chris O'Neil!

Summer Improv Intensive

Complete an entire improv program, Levels 1-4, in just one month with some of the best improvisers in the country! This intensive will follow with a graduation performance.

Level 1: Intro to Improv with Kurt Braunohler
July 6-July 10


Level 2: Scenework with Pat Shay
July 13-17


Level 3: Intro to Longform with Scott Eckert
July 20-24


Level 4: Advanced Longform with Rebekka Johnson
July 27-31

Find out more.


Become a Student at the PIT

The PIT offers unparalleled perks for students:

  • Practice Improv For Free
    The PIT is the only theater in town that gives students opportunities to practice improv in front of an audience several times a week. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in our "jams": Improdome (Wednesdays at 11pm), Bring It! (Tuesdays at 11pm), New Team Lunacy (Thursdays at 11pm) or Happy Hour (Fridays at 6pm).
  • Free Shows
    Students can see any show at The PIT for FREE during the duration of their class (as long as seats are available)
  • Internships/Work Study Available
    Students have the option of applying for an internship here at the PIT. In exchange, you can take an Improv class for $50!
  • Referrals
    If you refer a new student, you will receive $50 off your next class, or $30 in cash! (Valid on Improv classes only. Not valid for electives or writing classes.)
  • Discounts
    Many of the restaurants and bars in our area offer discounts to PIT students!
NBC and The PIT Announce Second Annual Diversity Scholarship!

NBC and The PIT will offer three full-ride scholarships (Improv Levels 1-5) to students with strong performance skills to study the craft of improvisation at The PIT. Click here to apply.
Improv-focused rehearsal space (opening soon)

Simple Studios rehearsal space will be opening up just down the street from the theater, where everyone is welcome to practice their craft.

Sign-up on the mailing list at SimpleStudiosNYC.com to be notified when we open... FREE SPACE our 1st week!
TimeOutNY hosts contest to win a spot in Writing For SNL class at The PIT!

TimeOut New York is hosting a contest for one lucky person to win a spot in The PIT's WRITING FOR SNL class, taught by PIT Owner Ali Farahnakian! Click here for contest details
Harvard Sailing Team called "Tightly written...Excellent!" by IFC.com

More praise is rolling in for hit sketch group Harvard Sailing Team. This time it's IFC.com calling them "Great!" "Tightly-written, directed and performed... a professional production of excellent, well-rounded work." Check out the review and buy tickets to the show!
Ali interviewed about his improv journey at Improvisation News

IMPROVISATION NEWS: So what's the origin of the PIT name?

ALI: When we were coming up with a name, I wanted to have improv in the title and I wanted to have theater in the title. I went to school at UNC – Chapel Hill and they had a place called "The Pit” where people would gather to read something called the Daily Tarheel and they would say that everybody in a 24-hour period would walk through, “The Pit”...

Read more:
The Man Behind the Curtain (part 1)
The PIT's NBC Diversity Scholar Reese Waters Featured in NY Magazine

Reese Waters, a hilarious standup comedian/improviser and one of The PIT's three NBC Diversity Scholarship recipients, is featured in this month's NY Magazine as one of "Ten New Comedians that Funny People Find Funny"! Check out the article and learn more about Reese.
The PIT was featured on The Rachael Ray Show

The Rachael Ray Show featured a segment on Tuesday, March 3 that dealt with a woman's fear of public speaking. Rachael's team decided to send the woman to an improv class at The PIT to help her face her fear and learn to speak more confidently in front of an audience. Watch the fear melt away as she embarks upon her first lesson in improv.
Learn About
PIT Founder
Ali Reza Farahnakian

See his YouTube page, Interview about the PIT with Scene Interactive, and Online Reel & Resume

Find out how to bring PIT Founder and Owner Ali Reza Farahnakian to your town to teach Improv Workshops, Sketch/SNL Writing Workshops, Corporate Team Building Workshops, or to Perform with your Improv group

Copyright 2009 The Peoples Improv Theater.